Bruno Michel’s Debrief: Up and running in 2025

The 2025 FIA Formula 3 season is still young, and after two flyaway rounds to kick off the campaign, CEO Bruno Michel takes stock of the early goings on, high-flyers and stand-out moments.

From the starring performances of a certain Brazilian to the variety of teams we’ve seen fighting in the points and, of course, the brand new F3 machine itself, it has been a great season.

Here’s what Michel has made of F3 in 2025 so far…

STARRING ROLE

It’s still very early in the season, but Rafael Câmara has already made his mark in 2025. The TRIDENT rookie has claimed both pole positions and Feature Race wins in the opening two rounds, driving faultlessly from start to finish. It’s no surprise that he is currently top in the Drivers’ Standings, twenty-six points ahead of second-placed and F3 returnee Tim Tramnitz. The star from Brazil is the only driver with two podiums so far, as well. I always say that F3 is one of the most competitive Championships, and it takes a very skilful newcomer to lead the way. When the action returns in Europe, it will be very interesting to see if Camara can keep the momentum as he has become the man to beat in 2025.

RODIN’S RESURGENCE

Rodin Motorsport’s life in F3 has not been easy so far. Could 2025 be the year that sees the New Zealander squad fight at the front of the Teams Standings? It has started quite strongly, with two podiums achieved in two rounds, equalling their haul of silverware from last year. They have kept Callum Voisin, who pocketed both 2024 trophies, and they added two promising talents to their line-up, one of which took third place in the opening race this season in Roman Bilinski. The season is still long, but it’s nice to see that hard work always pays off.

READ MORE: Rodin starting to build momentum says Team Manager Waple after Voisin’s Sakhir podium

UNPREDICTABILITY

We’ve had eight different teams featured on the podium in 2025 so far, with TRIDENT, Rodin and VAR the only ones with repeat podiums. It’s also worth noting that reigning Champions PREMA Racing are yet to clinch some silverware, which is quite unusual.

Six rookies have claimed a top three finish, while more experienced drivers who were expected to perform from the get-go are yet to put everything together to kick-start their season. We’ve also seen a lot of potential from newcomers who may need a bit more time to adapt to the challenges of F3. All in all, we have all the needed ingredients for an unpredictable season.

NEW CHALLENGER

We have introduced a new car this season and I was really eager to see what the races would look like. Everyone says that the F3 2025 is a looker, and it is true that its design is a great step-forward from the previous car, but would it enable close racing and overtakes? It turns out that the racing has been thrilling at both rounds, and we have been able to appreciate it under dry and wet conditions. I again want to thank the teams behind this new car, the FIA and all our partners such as Pirelli, Dallara and Mecachrome. I’m also very proud of running on Aramco’s 100% Advanced Sustainable Fuel, something that is absolutely key for the future of motorsport and something that has had zero impact on performance and reliability.

READ MORE: Pushing to the limit on 100% sustainable fuels – Why Melbourne was a big Milestone in F3

TRIPLE THREAT

F3 will not return until Imola, which is not too far in the future now. But when the action kicks off again, it won’t stop for the next three weeks. We will return with a triple-header from Imola, to Monte Carlo and ending in Barcelona. It will be a real test for the teams and the drivers. There will be no room for errors, both on and off track. Everyone will have had the time to prepare ahead of the challenge, but nothing ever compares to when you’re putting the car on track and pushing the car to the limits. When the triple-header is done and dusted, we will have reached mid-season and possibly have a clearer view as to who the title chasers will be…